Hydraulic fracturing is not a new thing, just new for the TIN FOIL HEADS From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Fracking redirects here. For other uses, see Frack (disambiguation). Induced hydraulic fracturing HydroFrac2.svg Schematic depiction of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas. Process type Mechanical Industrial sector(s) Mining Main technologies or sub-processes Fluid pressure Product(s) Natural gas, petroleum Inventor Floyd Farris; J.B. Clark (Stanolind Oil and Gas Corporation) Year of invention 1947 Hydraulic fracturing BarnettShaleDrilling-9323.jpg By country New Zealand South Africa United Kingdom United States Environmental impact Additives Radionuclides United States Regulation United States exemptions Technology Proppants Politics 2012-14 Romanian protests Anti-fracking movement FrackNation Frack Off Gasland v t e Hydraulic fracturing (also hydrofracturing, hydrofracking, fracking, or fraccing) is a well-stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a hydraulically pressurized liquid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally—certain veins or dikes are examples.[1] A high-pressure fluid (usually chemicals and sand suspended in water) is injected into a wellbore to create cracks in the deep-rock formations through which natural gas, petroleum, and brine will flow more freely. When the hydraulic pressure is removed from the well, small grains of hydraulic fracturing proppants (either sand or aluminium oxide) hold the fractures open once the deep rock achieves geologic equilibrium. The hydraulic fracturing technique is commonly applied to wells for shale gas, tight gas, tight oil, and coal seam gas.[2] Such well stimulation is commonly used to increase flow rates. Hydraulic fracturing began as an experiment in 1947, and the first commercially successful application followed in 1949. As of 2012, 2.5 million hydraulic fracturing operations had been performed worldwide on oil and gas wells; over one million of those within the U.S.[3][4] Hydraulic fracturing is highly controversial, proponents advocating economic benefits of readily accessible hydrocarbons,[5][6] and opponents concerned for the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing including contamination of ground water, depletion of fresh water, degradation of the air quality, the triggering of earthquakes, noise pollution, surface pollution, and the consequential risks to health and the environment.[7] Increases in seismic activity following hydraulic fracturing along dormant or previously unknown faults are sometimes caused by the deep-injection disposal of hydraulic fracturing flowback (a byproduct of hydraulically fractured wells),[8] and produced formation brine (a byproduct of both fractured and nonfractured oil and gas wells).[9] For these reasons, hydraulic fracturing is under international scrutiny, restricted in some countries, and banned altogether in others.[10][11][12] Some of those countries, notably the U.K., have repealed bans on hydraulic fracturing in favour of regulation. The European Union is drafting regulations that would permit controlled application of hydraulic fracturing.[13]
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 02:54:52 +0000
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